CACREP Program Objectives
The Department of Human Development Counseling fully endorses the standards and objectives adopted by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Each concentration area, namely, Clinical Mental Health, School, and Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling is currently accredited under the 2016 CACREP Standards. The following is a list of the eight common-core areas and their associated knowledge and skill competence areas as established by CACREP. Following each competence area is listed the courses which produce the identified knowledge and skill. Although the courses specified are targeted to offer the student information and skill relating to the identified objective, this is not meant to imply that the objective will not be addressed in other courses as well. In addition, course content may extend beyond stated objectives. Therefore, with an understanding that the Department of Human Development Counseling attempts to offer each student a grasp of the profession of counseling that is holistic in nature.
Human Growth and Development
Studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels; normal and abnormal human behavior; personality theory; and learning theory within cultural contexts.
The counselor is a skilled professional who is able to:
- Apply life-span theories of human development.
HDC 521, HDC 575 - Demonstrate working knowledge of major theories of personality development and historical influencing factors.
HDC 511, HDC 512 - Recognize and differentiate between normal and abnormal human behavior as well as identify the influence of psychological and sociological factors.
HDC 546, HDC 575 - Apply major learning theories and recognize historical influencing factors.
HDC 511, HDC 512 - Demonstrate working knowledge of cognitive-structural developmental theories concerned with moral, intellectual, and ethical development.
HDC 511, HDC 512, HDC 515, HDC 521
Social and Cultural Diversity
Studies that provide an understanding of societal changes and trends; human roles; societal subgroups; social mores and interaction patterns; and differing lifestyles.
The counselor is a skilled professional who is able to:
- Identify and define socioeconomic trends and changes in society including sources of conflict, methods of conflict resolution, and responses to change.
HDC 515, HDC 521, HDC 524 - Recognize and understand trends and changes in human roles including traditional and nontraditional male and female roles and identify factors influencing role development and change.
HDC 501, HDC 521, HDC 533 - Maintain on-going familiarity with and sensitivity to multicultural and pluralistic trends including characteristics and concerns of subgroups, subgroup and societal interaction patterns, and methods of conflict resolution.
HDC 511, HDC 512, HDC 515 - Identify major societal concerns including stress, person abuse, substance abuse, discrimination on the basis of human characteristics such as age, race, religious preference, physical condition, sexual preference, ethnicity, or gender, and methods for alleviating these concerns.
HDC 511, HDC 512, HDC 515, HDC 525, HDC 546
Counseling Helping Relationships
Studies that provide an understanding of philosophic bases of helping processes; counseling theories and their applications; helping skills; consultation theories and their applications; helper self-understanding and self development; and facilitation of client or consultee change.
The counselor is a skilled professional who is able to:
- Demonstrate counselor or consultant characteristics and behaviors that influence helping processes including gender and ethnic differences, verbal and nonverbal behaviors and personal characteristics, orientations, and skills.
HDC 501 HDC 511, HDC 512, HDC 515, HDC 587, HDC 590 - Demonstrate an understanding of client or consultee characteristics and behaviors that influence helping processes including gender and ethnic differences, verbal and nonverbal behaviors and personal characteristics, traits, capabilities, and life circumstances.
HDC 501, HDC 511, HDC 512, HDC 515, HDC 587, HDC 590 - Apply knowledge of those factors, other than participation, that influence helping processes, including environmental and societal factors, relationships external to the helping process, and commitment to change.
HDC 511, HDC 512, HDC 515, HDC 587, HDC 590 - Explain major counseling and consultation theories including research, and factors considered in application.
HDC 511, HDC 512, HDC 515, HDC 587, HDC 590 - Develop a personal approach to counseling that is consistent with the counselor’s values and beliefs (for specific counseling competencies, see Practicum Competencies).
HDC 501, HDC 511, HDC 512, HDC 513, HDC 587, HDC 590
Group Counseling and Group Work
Studies that provide an understanding of group development, dynamics, and counseling theories; group leadership styles; group counseling methods and skills, and other group approaches.
The counselor is a skilled professional who is able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of principles of group dynamics including group process components, developmental stage theories, and group members’ roles and behaviors.
HDC 513, HDC 587, HDC 590 - Differentiate group leadership styles and approaches including characteristics of various types of group leaders and leadership styles.
HDC 513, HDC 587, HDC 590 - Explain and assess theories of group counseling including commonalities, distinguishing characteristics, and pertinent research and literature.
HDC 513 - Demonstrate an understanding of group counseling methods including group counselor orientations and behaviors, ethical considerations, appropriate selection criteria and methods, and methods of evaluation of effectiveness.
HDC 513, HDC 587, HDC 590 - Identify and assess other types of small group approaches, theories, and methods.
HDC 513
Career Development
Studies that provide an understanding of career development theories; occupational and educational information sources and systems; career and leisure counseling, guidance, and education; lifestyle and career decision-making; and career development program planning, resources, and evaluation.
The counselor is a skilled professional who is able to:
- Explain major career and lifestyle development theories.
HDC 501, HDC 524 - Identify career, avocational, and educational information systems, including local and national sources, print media, computer-assisted career guidance, and computer-based career information.
HDC 524 - Integrate major career and lifestyle counseling, guidance and education theories, and implementation models.
HDC 524 - Demonstrate an understanding of life-span career development and career counseling program planning.
HDC 524 - Demonstrate an understanding of changing roles of women and men as related to career development and career counseling.
HDC 524 - Evaluate interrelationships among work, family, and leisure.
HDC 524, HDC 533 - Identify career development and lifestyle needs and career counseling resources and techniques applicable to special populations.
HDC 524 - Manage career and educational placement, follow-up, and evaluation.
HDC 524, HDC 587, HDC 590 - Integrate career and education decision-making theory.
HDC 524 - Select assessment instruments relevant to career planning and decision-making.
HDC 524, HDC 531, HDC 575, HDC 587, HDC 590
Assessment and Testing
Studies that provide an understanding of group and individual education and psychometric theories and approaches to appraisal; data and information gathering methods; validity and reliability; psychometric statistics; factors influencing appraisals, and use of appraisal results in helping processes.
The counselor is a skilled professional who is able to:
- Differentiate types of educational and psychological appraisal.
HDC 546, HDC 575, HDC 577 - Integrate theoretical bases for appraisal techniques and methods of interpretation of appraisal data and information.
HDC 524, HDC 546, HDC 575, HDC 577 - Demonstrate an understanding of validity including methods of establishing content, construct, and empirical validity.
HDC 575, HDC 577 - Demonstrate an understanding of reliability including methods of establishing stability, internal and equivalence of reliability.
HDC 575, HDC 577 - Use major appraisal methods including environmental assessment, individual test and inventory methods, behavioral observations, and computer-managed and computer-assisted methods.
HDC 575, HDC 577 - Apply psychometric statistics including types of test scores, measures of central tendency, indices of variability, standard errors, and correlations.
HDC 575, HDC 577 - Integrate principles of appraisal data and information interpretations in helping processes.
HDC 546, HDC 575 - Apply ethical and legal considerations in the use of appraisal data and information in helping processes.
HDC 546, HDC 575, HDC 577
Research and Program Evaluation
Studies that provide an understanding of types of research; basic statistics; research-report development; research implementation; program evaluation; needs assessment; and ethical and legal considerations.
The counselor is a skilled professional who is able to:
- Compare and contrast basic types of research.
HDC 577 - Demonstrate an understanding of basic statistics.
HDC 575, HDC 577 - Demonstrate principles of research proposal and report development and evaluation.
HDC 577 - Integrate principles of needs assessment.
HDC 577 - Integrate principles of program evaluation.
HDC 530, HDC 531, HDC 577 - Demonstrate an understanding of ethical and legal considerations in research.
HDC 575, HDC 577 - Identify uses of computers for data management and analysis.
HDC 575, HDC 577
Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice
Studies that provide an understanding of professional roles and functions; professional goals and objectives; professional organizations and associations; professional history and trends; ethical and legal standards; professional preparation standards; and professional credentialing.
The counselor is a skilled professional who is able to:
- Identify professional roles and functions including similarities and differences with other types of professionals.
HDC 501, HDC 511, HDC 512, 587, HDC 590 - Evaluate professional organizations including membership benefits, activities, services to members, and current emphases.
HDC 501, HDC 531, HDC 534, HDC 542, HDC 587, HDC 590 - Relate the history of the helping professions including significant factors and events.
HDC 501, HDC 511, HDC 531, HDC 534 - Demonstrate an understanding of ethical and legal standards, their evolution, methods or change, and applications to various professional activities.
HDC 501, HDC 531, HDC 534, HDC 587, HDC 590 - Compare professional preparation standards, their evolution and current applications.
HDC 501, HDC 531, HDC 534, HDC 542, HDC 587, HDC 590 - Value professional credentialing including certification and licensure, and accreditation including practices and standards.
HDC 501, HDC 531, HDC 534, HDC 542, HDC 587, HDC 590